Alternate Rebirths
by PKAquaFlame
Summary: A oneshot book based on my XIII Pokemon fic. The PokeMembers could have been easily reborn into other forms and regions, right? These oneshots will explore what might happen if things were a tad different...Done with the Alternate Beginnings arc!
1. Unova Beginnings

Disclaimer: I don't own.

SO. I'm in a rut. Why am I in a rut, you ask? Just because of college life and whatnot. So I've taken it upon myself to make this, a book of random _XIII Pokemon_ one shots in the hopes that maybe I'll get my mojo back up during my winter break. Some might be a little AU (different PokeMembers being different Pokemon, different region (like in this chapter...) and some will be random little moments in the life of Lyra's team. Plus, if this inspires people do a little mix-up of their own, (like this little bit might), then hey! All the better!

Enjoy!

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><p><em>I - <em>_A Whole New World_

Marluxia was most displeased.

How long had it been since he was reborn into this world...into this form?

Okay, so the form in particular wasn't that bad...he rather liked snakes, after all. And this form - that woman taking care of him called him a Snivy - was snake-like...but it was the Pokemon living with him that drove him bonkers. There was a Pokemon called Oshawott and another called Tepig. Tepig annoyed him the most: perhaps because he reminded Marluxia too much of that backstabber Axel.

_"Snivy, Snivy, Snivy, SNIVY!" _Tepig exclaimed. _"Guess what!"_

_"I don't know, Tepig. What?"_

_"...I forgot. Hey, do you wanna play?"_

Marluxia groaned. He could only hope that he would get out of this Kingdom Hearts-damned hellhole.

But as annoying as being in the lab was, he thought that being given to a Trainer was a little worse.

Not five minutes after he got a Trainer, he deemed her to be completely insane. Really! Battling with Oshawott and Tepig_ in her bedroom_? What kind of maniac did this professor trust with him?

At least he beat both of them. He could not forgive himself if he allowed himself to be defeated by either of them. He knew that they would battle again, and defeating Tepig would be harder, since he was fire.

As Touko freaked out about her room being a mess, Marluxia felt the urge to facepalm.

_You had it coming, you foolish girl._

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><p><em>II - The Enigmatic Man<em>

"That's ridiculous," the black-haired boy muttered as that Ghestis person left the area. "Pokemon and people help each other."

Touko glanced at her Pokemon, who stood silently by her side, arms crossed. She picked up the Snivy and looked at him in the eyes.

"Hey, Snivy?" she asked uncertainly. "You don't want to leave, right? I mean, do you like being my Pokemon"

Marluxia was somewhat surprised at this. This insane girl was asking him how he felt about being her Pokemon? She almost reminded him of Namine.

_"Well," _he said before he could stop himself. _"You're a bit on the dim side, but I suppose I could be worse off. And who knows? I may even grow to like you, despite the fact that you probably will never call me Marluxia."_

Touko blinked in confusion. Rolling his eyes, Marluxia nodded, causing Touko to grin and hug the Snivy. Marluxia struggled to get out of the hug.

"Your Snivy...just now he said..."

Touko and Cheren turned to see a rather interesting young man. He had long green hair in a ponytail and a rather simple outfit. He stared at the Snivy in Touko's arms in what could only be described as shock.

"And you are...?" Cheren asked defensively. The young man smiled politely.

"Oh, how rude of me. My name is N."

_N? _Marluxia thought. _Strange name..._

"I'm Touko, and this is Cheren," Touko introduced. "Now what was that you said about my Snivy?"

"So you can't hear his voice either? What a shame."

"Hear his voice?" Cheren repeated. "That's a strange thing to say...anyway, our goal is to complete the PokeDex. My main goal is to become Champion, though."

N frowned. "I see...so you plan on imprisioning many Pokemon into PokeBalls. I'm a Trainer as well, but I can't help thinking...are they really happy that way?" he mused.

Marluxia tilted his head to the side. Now that he thought about it, PokeBalls weren't really that comfortable...sure, sometimes it beat the life he lead before he became a Nobody, but still...

"Oh, and about your Snivy...if you are to imprision him, you might as well call him Marluxia. He seems to like that name."

Marluxia blanched, staring at the strange young man in surprise. How did this human know about _that_?

"But never mind that. I want to hear his voice again! Help me, my friend!" N shouted, releasing a Purrloin from a PokeBall.

Touko tilted her head to the side. This weird guy says something about PokeBalls being prisons, something about the name Marluxia, and then releases a Purrloin from a PokeBall of his own?

Strange guy...

"Okay...Marluxia. It's all you!"

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><p><em>III - The First Reunion<em>

"Can you please take care of this little guy? I just found him in this PokeBall, and I only can take care of my Purrloin."

Touko's eyes glittered as the Panpour cartwheeled around the two girls. "Sure! We need a Water Pokemon anyway, right Marly?" she said, glancing down at the Snivy.

Marluxia huffed and nodded, crossing his arms. Blasted Fire-types...if he wasn't at a disadvantage, he could easily...

_"Marly? That you?"_

Marluxia blinked, noticing the blue monkey-like Pokemon staring at him curiously. Marluxia raised a nonexistent eyebrow.

_"Do I know you from somewhere...?"_

_"Don't you recognize me? It's me, Demyx!"_

_"Demyx?"_

That was when he noticed the numeral _IX_ on the Pokemon's tail. Just like the numeral_ XI_ on his own tail!

_"This is awesome! And here I thought I was the only member to be stuck in this situation!" _Demyx exclaimed, tacking Marluxia in a tight hug.

Touko glanced at the Panpour, who had just glomped Marluxia. It looked like they were getting along great!

"Oh, and by the way..." the young woman continued, catching Touko's attention. "There was a label on the PokeBall that read 'Demyx'. Maybe that was his nickname?"

"Demyx? Strange name...but it looks like it suits him. Thanks again!"

As Demyx jumped into Touko's arms and started to hug her, Marluxia resisted the urge to dive off the nearest cliff.

This was going to be a long journey...

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><p>Please review!<p> 


	2. Hoenn Beginnings

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

From Unova to Hoenn! My two favorite regions! :D

On with the fic!

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><p>Brendan glanced at his recently aquired Mudkip, who was grinning and laughing while chasing after a Zigzagoon. He still couldn't believe his dad had finally decided to give him one of the Pokemon in his lab! When Professor Birch asked him which he would like, Brendan instantly picked Mudkip. He had always liked the water Pokemon, after all.<p>

But something was definitely strange about this Mudkip...out of his Egg for almost two weeks and he was still wandering about, gaping at the closest thing that so much as _twitched!_ Most Pokemon come out of the curious phase after about two_ days_! Now that he thought of it, this Mudkip was pretty smaller than other Mudkips...maybe this one was hatched prematurely?

And then there was that birthmark...the one that looked like the numeral _IX_. Neither Brendan or his father could make anything of that.

Well, whatever. A birthmark's a birthmark...it's not like_ IX_ was anything significant to this Mudkip, right? If all else fails, he could just name it Nine if he couldn't think of anything else...it was that or Doro, so...

He dusted himself off as he checked the time. 12:30. Wasn't that around the time that the Gym Leader's family would get here?

"Hey, Mudkip!" he called. The Mudkip reacted, sadly departing from the Zigzagoon and trotting over to the boy. Brendan picked the Mudkip up and put him on his shoulder. The boy chuckled as Nine climbed to rest on his head.

"We should get going. I think the new next-door neighbors are gonna be here soon," he said as he started to walk towards Littleroot.

Whatever it was, he hoped there would be some explanation. He wasn't the type to just let things be: he had to have some sort of reason behind everything.

Maybe the numeral was from some otherworldly cult bent on universal domination?

...Nah.

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><p>Please review! :D<p> 


	3. Unova Adventures II

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Something to hold _XIII Pokemon_ fans over while I deal with college...

Annnnnnd back to Unova. I just keep coming up with so many ideas for this region! :3

Enjoy!

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><p><em>IV - <em>_Two Best Friends_

Marluxia blinked at the newest addition to the team. It - a Blitzle, he believed it was called - glared at Touko like it wanted to shock her.

_I know that glare,_ he thought. The Blitzle noticed the Grass-type staring at her and glared at him.

_"What the hell are you staring at?" _she demanded.

That - along with the numeral _XII_ on the white mane - cleared away any doubts in Marluxia's mind.

_"Is this any way to greet your best friend, Larxene?" _he asked. Blitzle gave the Snivy a weird look.

_"Prove to me you're Marluxia."_

_"The name of your Somebody is Relena,"_ Marluxia deadpanned._ "She was captain of a fearless pirate brigade, and my Somebody, Lamuria, was her first mate."_

_"...Wow," _was all Larxene could say. _"Just wow. Are we the only members in this stupid team?"_

_"No. Demyx is here, too," _Marluxia said. Larxene smirked.

_"I gotta say, when I found out I was reborn in this stupid world, I thought you would be here too. I figured you were more flowery, though."_

_"You know, there's a cute flying electric squirrel Pokemon roaming in this world...you could have just as easily been reborn in that form."_

Touko glanced at the newest addition to her team and her Snivy talking to each other. If she didn't know any better, it was almost as if they knew each other before...

_Nah, _Touko thought.

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><p><em>V - N Returns<em>

In their excitement upon reaching Nacrene City, Touko and Demyx rushed into the Museum. In their rush, Touko nearly bumped into a taller figure.

"Oh, sorry!" she exclaimed, causing Demyx to jump up and down enthusiastically, grinning. He loved it when Touko bumped into someone; it always made everyone in the team laugh - even Larxene!

"No, it's alright," a somewhat familiar said softly. Blinking, Touko looked up. Curious gray eyes blinked down at her. Touko blinked. It was that dude who told Touko about Marluxia's name...

"Ah! You!" she exclaimed, pointing at him. "You're that guy from Accumula Town!"

"And you're that girl from Accumula Town," N replied, smiling. "Touko, wasn't it?"

"Uh...yeah..." Touko replied, still a bit creeped out. "What are you doing here?"

N waved her question off. "I want to see things nobody else can see. The truths of Pokemon inside their PokeBalls, the ideals of how Trainers should be...And a future in which Pokemon become perfect. Tell me, do you agree?"

Touko tilted her head to the side. "Uh...I guess?" she asked/replied. N shook his head.

"I somehow expected more from you...Now pay attention. My friends and I will test you and see if you can see this future, too," N said, releasing a Pidove. Touko returned Demyx and released her Blitzle (who, for some reason, could not answer to anything other than Larxene - Marluxia helped spell out her name from a sign).

The Blitzle easily went through the Pidove and a Tympole, after which N released a Timburr. Larxene put up a good fight (even paralyzing the Fighting-type), but she eventually fainted. Touko returned Larxene and released Demyx, who was able to finish off Tumburr.

N returned his last Pokemon and glanced at the PokeBall holding it.

"Right now, my friends and I aren't strong enough to save all Pokemon. Maybe I can't solve the equation that can change the world," he mused.

Touko tilted her head to the side again. What was N _talking_ about? From the look on Demyx's face, the Panpour seemed to agree.

"So I need power," he continued. "Power enough to make anyone agree with me."

N started to walk off, and then froze, as if he had reached an ephiphany. He pivoted, glancing at Touko with an excited gleam in his eyes.

"Now I know what I need! I need Reshiram!" he exclaimed. Touko nearly fell over.

_"What?"_ she screeched. "You're kidding, right?"

"What reason would I have to kid? The legendary Pokemon that, along with the hero, created Unova! It's my turn to become that hero - and you and I will be friends!"

Before Touko could question this - who was the 'you' in this statement? - N ran off. Demyx looked up at Touko, and then at the spot where N just was. That guy...he was weird. And (he's willing to admit) coming from _Demyx_, that was saying something.

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><p><em>VI - The Fighter<em>

A blink.

A blink back.

A raised eyebrow.

A wary glance.

_"...Roxas?"_

_"...Demyx?"_

That was how the Melodious Nocturne was reunited with The Key of Destiny. Who had been reborn into a tall, intimidating-looking Fighting type that looked like it belonged in a dojo.

And how did this meeting come to pass, you ask?

Touko wanted to catch a Fighting-type, which were practically abundant in Pinwheel Forest, just outside of Nacrene City. Mainly because she was about to be facing Lenora, who used Normal-types. Besides, she wanted to catch a Sawk to begin with; they were amazing attackers.

_"...Well, this is awkward," _Demyx said, glancing at the side.

_"I know. Especially since I merged with Sora," _Roxas mused. _"I don't remember dying at all."_

_"Really?" _Demyx asked, surprise evident on his face. He felt a pang of jealousy; Roxas got to meet his Somebody.

Wait.

Back up.

He _felt_ a pang of jealousy? Did that mean he really _did_ have a heart?

_"I guess we'll figure it out," _Demyx said, waving his thought off with a grin. _"Oh, and we're not alone. Marly and Larxene are in our team."_

_"...What?" _Roxas exclaimed, horror evident on his face. Obviously he remembered how in sync with each other those two were.

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><p><em>VII - Skyarrow<em>

"Hey, Marly..."

Marluxia turned towards Touko, who had a thoughtful expression on her face. Now the two were walking through Skyarrow Bridge, the bridge linking Pinwheel Forest and Castelia City, and so far it was absolutely amazing. He had never seen anything like it, ever. He knew Vexen and Xemnas would like this bridge a lot; they'd be speechless at the architectural design. In fact, he was certain all the other members would like it in some way - it was just that amazing.

"What _is_ it like in your PokeBall?"

Marluxia was thrown off by this questioning. Was this N person starting to influence her or something? But regardless, he tried to think of all the times he was in his PokeBall. It was dark and a little cold, but it was almost comfortable.

"Oh, forget I asked," Touko said hurriedly, quickening her walk. "Now look at this! You gotta admit, this is worth getting out of your PokeBall."

Marluxia had to agree. The view of the skyline was absolutely stunning. The sun hit the city just right, so that everything started to glow a rosy color. This almost matched the view of Kingdom Hearts from his bedroom window.

Almost.

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><p><em>VIII -<em>_An Unexpected Surprise_

"Okay, this is a little creepy..." Touko said as she walked down the alleyway, her Sawk at her side. Now she and her Pokemon were in Castelia, which is arguably the busiest city in Unova. Despite this, the alleyway seemed abandoned...

When she heard footsteps behind her, she jumped and was about ready to give the command to use Vine Whip...when she saw that it wasn't a thug.

It was a boy. A boy with strange silver hair and a monotone glance. He stared at Touko for a minute, as if examining her and her Pokemon, eyes slightly widening when he saw the numeral on the Sawk's knee. He then walked towards her and gently tugged her arm.

"Hey, there you are!" a gruff voice shouted. They then saw two tough-looking businessmen enter the scene. One of them smirked and pointed at the boy.

"Excuse me, miss," he said to Touko. "This young lad's my boss' son. He has a nasty habit of running off."

"You gave your mother a fright, you know," the other man said. "Now come to daddy and maybe your punishment won't be too harsh."

The boy gave his pursuers a deadpan look and looked up at Touko.

"He's lying, miss," he said. "They're kidnappers. Poachers, in fact. They only want me for their profit."

"Poachers?" The second man growled. "What an imagination you have. Now miss, if you would give me the boy?"

Touko didn't need a second prompt.

"Okay, two things: One, if you're really his father, he'd look at least a little like you," she said, "And two, if you two really _are_ kidnappers, then I really can't give him to you, can I?"

"Cheeky little..." the 'father' seethed as he released a Sandile. His partner released a Liepard. Touko glanced at Sawk, who nodded and sprung into action. She released Demyx, who cartwheeled into the scene.

"Sawk, use Double Kick on Liepard! Demyx, Work Up and then Water Gun on Sandile!"

This easily beat the two Pokemon. The two men growled as they released their Pokemon.

"Shit...if we stick around here, then maybe we'll be found out!" the 'father' hissed as they ran off.

Touko smiled at the boy, who had hidden behind a garbage can during the small fight.

"Well, you're safe now!" she exclaimed. "Now, can you tell me where your real parents are?"

The boy shook his hand and stated, "I don't have parents."

Touko felt a little sad for the boy now. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I barely know them, anyway. My name is Zexion."

_Zexion? Odd name..._Touko thought.

"I'm Touko. I haven't thought of a name for him," she said, gesturing to the Sawk (whose eyes were widened), "but until further notice, I guess he's gonna be Thirteen."

Zexion glanced at the girl, and then the Sawk. "May I ask what other Pokemon you may have? A Panpour named Demyx..."

"Huh? Oh," Touko said, blinking. "A Snivy named Marluxia and a Blitzle named Larxene. But why are you asking..."

It was then that Zexion's form started to morph! It changed from the small silver-headed boy into that of a small black fox with a red mane. Touko gaped: Zexion was a Zorua! These were rare Pokemon in Unova; people would trip over each other for the mere chance of getting one!

"Uh...wow," Touko finally said. "So you're a Zorua...which meant the two men were...!"

"Yes," Zexion said. "They were poachers. But don't worry, I managed to run into a Pokemon Center and tell a police officer I found there everything. All that was left to do was to find a Trainer I could trust. But here trustworthiness can get you killed sometimes."

"But how did you know you could trust _me_?" Touko asked the Zorua. Zexion glanced at the Sawk.

"Because you have Roxas and the others on your team," he said simply. Touko followed the Zorua's glance at the Sawk.

"Roxas? You mean Sawk?" she asked. "What kind of name is Roxas? And what about the other Pokemon?"

Zexion sighed. "I suppose I should start in the beginning...what do you know about the heart?"

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><p>So review? Or don't, that's completely up to you.<p> 


	4. Kanto Beginnings

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A little something from Larxene's POV...in Kanto. History repeats...and we get a laugh at her expense. At least, I did.

Enjoy!

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><p>Larxene was <em>pissed<em>. First she was defeated by that kid Sora, and now she was reborn into this damned world with this damned _child_ who - if Larxene didn't know any better - could be the relative of said Keyblade wielder.

And the form! She was a cute mouse thing with a heart for a tail (karma _hated_ her, she was absolutely positive of that)! The stupidly-named child (because, honestly, who names their kid _Leaf_?) that she had been forced to follow had called her 'Pee-kah-choo'.

At least she was out of that stupid container thing that bastard of a professor had forced her into. He was actually smart - almost like Vexen (not that Larxene would ever say that). He knew that she hated being in the PokeBall and didn't force the kid to put her back or anything. He seemed a bit nostalgic as he watched everything going on, but that did not matter to Larxene. If she was going to be in an embarassingly cute form, she might as well be outside of that stupid thing.

Seriously, Larxene didn't know how this situation could get any worse.

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><p>Leaf grinned as she and her Pikachu entered Route 1. This was so exciting! Her very own journey was about to unfold!<p>

She glanced at her Pikachu. This was just like how her dad started his journey...Professor Oak's grandfather had caught his Pikachu. This had to be a blessing of some sort from Arceus, she knew it!

But there was something a bit...off about her Pikachu. For one thing, the numeral XII was on the tail...and she seemed to have a bit of an unruly attitude.

On the other hand, there was a certain strength in this Pikachu...she managed to beat Green's Growlithe (that jerkface practically snatched it from beneath her fingers), at least.

But something was strange with the Professor's actions...was it Leaf's imagination, or was he watching the fight as if he had been there before? Maybe...her dad had told her that he and the Professor were rivals...

But it's better not to dwell on slight negatives: the one thing that mattered was that her journey _finally_ began. And with her favorite Pokemon, no less!

Seriously, Leaf didn't know how this situation could get any better.

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><p>So this is kind of a sequel to the games...Leaf is Red's daughter and Green is Blue's son. And the 'Professor' in this bit? Blue himself.<p>

So review? Or don't, that's completely up to you.


	5. Sinnoh Beginnings

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Wow, a Sinnoh chapter, too! I'm on a roll! :D

Okay, so this is in Diamond/Pearl-verse, as opposed to Platinum-verse. In other words...DIFFERENT STARTER SCENARIO FOR LUCAS AND BARRY! :D

All of these could be legit storylines, especially with the D/P/P games.

Enjoy!

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><p>When Lucas and Barry entered Lake Verity, they were greeted with a rather unusual sight: an older man with a brown jacket and brown pants and a girl with blue hair and a pink jacket over a dress.<p>

"Professor, there's nothing on this side of the lake!" the girl exclaimed. The Professor hummed.

"Perhaps I was mistaken. Something does appear to be different than before, but..." he trailed off. He cleared his throat. "Fine! It's enough that we have seen the lake. Dawn, we're leaving."

As the two got ready to leave, Dawn asked, "Professor? How's it feel to be back in Sinnoh? I mean, after being away for four years...it must be pretty exciting."

The Professor nodded. "One thing I can say is that there are many kinds of Pokemon in Sinnoh. The region should serve us well in our studies."

The two walked past Lucas and Barry (with the Professor saying, "Excuse us. Please let us pass."). Dawn stayed behind a bit, only to say, "We're sorry. We'll be out of your way."

The two boys watched as Dawn walked off.

"What was that about?" Lucas asked. "Have you ever seen those two?"

"I may have seen the old man on TV once," Barry said. He then noticed something. He blinked, and then jogged towards the lonely briefcase sitting in the place that the Professor and Dawn were previously.

"Hey, look at this!" he exclaimed, holding up the brown briefcase.

"Are you crazy?" Lucas yelled - Barry was right in the middle of the grass! "We can't go into the grass! We might get attacked!"

"Relax, Luke!" Barry shouted back, grinning. "We won't be in there long enough to get attacked. Now come on and look at this!"

Lucas hesitated, and then jogged up to the blond. The two boys peered at the briefcase, and then glanced at each other.

"Those two probably left this," Lucas noted. "If that's the case, we have to get it back."

"I guess, but where are we going to deliver it?" Barry asked. Lucas then noticed something rustling. That could only mean...

"BARRY, DUCK!" he shouted, ducking and dragging Barry down with him. Not one, but two Starly zoomed above their heads. Now they were ready to make a second attack.

"Pokemon! What's going on?" Barry exclaimed. Lucas gave him a deadpan look before noticing that the briefcase had opened, allowing three PokeBalls to roll out. One had a flame insignia, one had a water insignia, and the other had a leaf insignia.

"Look! PokeBalls fell out of the briefcase!" Lucas exclaimed. Barry glanced at them, and then grinned.

"Great! We can use two of these to drive them away!" he exclaimed as the two ducked from another attack.

"But what about...?" Lucas said.

"That professor guy will definitely understand! It's not like this is a trivial thieving- it's this or death, Luke! Just pick one already!" Barry shouted.

Now Lucas was really panicking. Which one would help the most with this scenario? Would this even work at all? What about...?

Shaking any doubts from his mind, his hand inched towards the leaf PokeBall. Then a flash of magenta appeared in the corner of his eyes...and everything seemed to freeze.

**Pick the Fire Pokemon.**

Lucas blinked at the voice echoing in his head. "Huh?"

**Are you deaf or something? Pick the Fire Pokemon! Axel's had enough troubles already! But I guess that's a story for a different day.**

"What are you talking about?" Lucas muttered. "And who's Axel?"

**You'll learn soon enough, Lucas. Ta-ta~!**

_What was that about? _Lucas thought, eyeing the flame-engraved PokeBall. He grabbed it, sighing._ But__ I guess it wouldn't hurt..._

Barry hastily grabbed the waterdrop PokeBall and the two released their Pokemon. Out of Barry's PokeBall came a small blue penguin (a Piplup), while out of Lucas' PokeBall came a small red monkey with a flaming tail (a Chimchar).

"Chimchar, use..." Lucas said, trying to fish for a move that the fire monkey could use. Chimchar looked back at the boy that released him and the two had a momentary staring match. Chimchar then smirked and made a scratching motion with its hand.

"Oh...use Scratch!"

"Piplup, Pound that Starly!"

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><p>It didn't take much for Chimchar and Piplup to knock out the two bird Pokemon.<p>

Barry let out a huge sigh and turned to Lucas.

"Woow! Your Chimchar rocked! But my Piplup was a lot tougher!" he exclaimed. He then deflated. "But they were other people's Pokemon..."

"I'm sure they won't mind," Lucas said. "Like you said, it was a matter of life-or-death."

"Oh, I knew it! It's right here!"

Lucas and Barry jumped as Dawn returned. She picked up the briefcase and smiled at the boys.

"Thanks for keeping an eye on it," she said. "I don't know what the professor would have done if I had lost it."

She then noticed the sole PokeBall in the briefcase. That plus the fact that Chimchar and Piplup were out caused her to pale.

"Please don't tell me you used those Pokemon," she said, facepalming.

"We had no choice," Lucas said. "When we went to get the briefcase, some Starly attacked us. The PokeBalls fell out and I guess we..."

"No, I get it," Dawn said. "But what's the professor going to do? This is so not good...I'm just going to take this briefcase for now."

And with that, Dawn started to leave, briefcase in hand. She then stopped and turned back.

"Which one of you used Chimchar?" she asked. Lucas and Barry glanced confusedly at each other, then back at Dawn. Lucas then raised his hand.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I was just wondering...did he give you any sort of attitude?" she asked. Lucas blinked.

"Uh, not really," he said. "He just stared at me for a minute and then..."

"Weird," Dawn commented. "That's all I wanted to know. Bye!"

And with that, Dawn left. Lucas glanced at the Chimchar at his feet, who glanced back.

"What was that about?" Lucas asked. Barry shrugged.

I dunno...but we should probably get out of here," he said, motioning to Piplup. "If we get attacked again, I don't think we'll be as lucky."

Lucas nodded and set off. Chimchar ran up to him and crawled up his leg to rest on his shoulder.

"Hey...What?" Lucas asked, confused by the Chimchar's antics.

**Aww...Axel likes you!**

Lucas froze and Chimchar twitched. That voice again?

_Axel? Do you mean Chimchar? _he thought as he continued walking, hoping that whoever this was would read his mind. He heard a giggle.

**Mmm-hmm! I shouldn't give everything away now, but he likes being called Axel.**

"Axel..." Lucas mused, glancing at Chimchar. The fire monkey nodded, glancing away.

Lucas glanced at Barry, who allowed Piplup to walk beside him. He watched sadly as Piplup occasionally fell to the ground (and got back up).

_We're walking slower, too..._Lucas thought. _Hey, voice. Can I ask you something?_

No response, causing Lucas to sigh.

"Hey!" Barry whispered, catching Lucas' attention. "It's those two again! Why's that guy staring at us?"

Lucas looked up to see that Professor Rowan and Dawn were right in front of them. Rowan obversed the two boys and the Pokemon they had chosen.

"I heard from Dawn that you used our Pokemon to defend yourselves? Let me see them, please," he said, walking towards the boys. Rowan crouched to meet Piplup's eye level and watched as it teetered towards Barry. Then he straightened up and fixed his gaze on the Chimchar on Lucas' shoulder. Chimchar stared back for a minute, and tightened his grip on the shoulder of Lucas' shirt.

"Hmmm...Chimchar and Piplup..." he mused. "I see. So that's how it is..."

He turned towards his assistant. "Dawn, I've seen enough. I'm going back to the lab!"

And with that he walked off. Dawn sputtered, eventually saying, "Hey, wait for me!"

She turned towards the boys, saying, "I think you should visit the lab later today. Maybe in a few hours. Bye!"

She ran off, causing Lucas and Barry to blink. "What the...?" Barry started.

"We should probably rest a bit. Then maybe we can get to the Lab?" Lucas asked.

"Awright! We'll be really quick!"

* * *

><p>About two hours later, Lucas stood in front of the lab at Sandgem, gulping. He glanced at the Chimchar at his feet. The Pokemon's nose crinkled in distaste.<p>

"I don't know why I'm so nervous," he said. "If Rowan wanted you and Piplup back, he would have just taken you guys, right?"

The door abruptly opened, and Barry tumbled out, a huge grin on his face.

"Hi Luke!" he exclaimed hurriedly. "Rowan isn't as scary as he is totally out there! But that doesn't matter; I'm off! Bye!"

Then he dashed off like a madman into Route 202. Lucas and Chimchar blinked.

"I guess we should go in..." he said, picking up Chimchar and putting him on his shoulder.

When he entered, Rowan and Dawn immediately noticed him.

"Lucas, was it not?" he said. "May I take a closer look at Chimchar, please?"

Lucas blinked, scooping Chimchar in his arms and holding the Pokemon out. Rowan stared at the Chimchar, as if looking for something.

It was then that Lucas noticed the numeral _VIII_ on the back of the Chimchar's neck.

_Was that always there? _he thought as Rowan cleared his throat.

"Chimchar seems rather happy," the professor noted. "Happier than he ever was in here...So be it. I'll give you that Chimchar as a gift."

Lucas and Chimchar were completely bowled over at this. All that worrying - that Chimchar would have to be returned - for nothing!

"Thank you so much, sir!" Lucas exclaimed. Rowan smiled.

"Now that Chimchar's yours, would you like to give him a nickname?" he asked.

Lucas glanced at the Chimchar.

"I think I'll name him...Axel."

* * *

><p><em>Mesprit grinned as Lucas recieved the PokeDex from Rowan. Soon the boy would take off into the world with a newly dubbed Axel.<em>

_As the Spirit of Emotion, Mesprit took pity on the members of the Organization - imagine having no emotions! So when it heard from the Unown that they were going to grant them life...let's say that Mesprit was adamant on them being reborn in Sinnoh._

_And Lucas was a perfect match as a Trainer - for Axel at least. He was fairly calm - there were things that could cause him to really panic, but other than that, cool as a cucumber._

_Maybe this journey could be what those poor souls need..._

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><p>Wow, I wrote a lot with this one! O.O I think this is the longest chapter in the fic so far.<p>

So review? Or don't, that's completely up to you.


	6. Johto Moment: A History Lesson

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

So here's another aspect of this fic: random moments in the Johto timeline that I might not think of for the main story. Like this one-shot. Which was written off the top of my head. So I will probably edit/add more to this later.

Enjoy!

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><p>In the National Park of Johto, two Trainers could be seen sitting on a bench: one with a Marill and a Ralts, and the other with a Typhlosion and a Haunter. The boy played with his Marill, who sat upon his lap. The Typhlosion was sitting at the girl's feet, trying to sleep. The Haunter floated stoically above the small Ralts, who sat at the boy's feet.<p>

The Ralts - named Xemnas - was bored.

And whenever Xemnas was bored, he liked to bug his Trainer, Ethan. Who was talking to his best friend/crush, Lyra.

This would not do.

**Ethan.**

The black-haired Trainer tried to ignore Xemnas' call. The Ralts twitched.

**ETHAN!**

_What is it? _Ethan thought, annoyed.

**I'm bored. I wish to know some history of this world.**

Ethan sighed. "Again, Xem? That's the fifth time..."

"What does Xemnas want?" Lyra asked.

"He wants to know some more history," Ethan said. "I might as well satisfy his craving now, otherwise he'll be all bossy and demanding. Do you mind?"

"Not a bit," Lyra said, smiling. "In fact, I'm in the mood for something interesting.

Ethan hummed in thought. He brightened, and then deflated; should he tell Lyra about this? This would probably...

"Have you ever heard of the Nuzlocke Era?"

Lyra blinked at Ethan's questioning.

"Can't say I have..." she replied.

"I only heard about it from Grandpa," Ethan said as Mizu slid off of his lap, landing on a sleeping Axel. "They banned Nuzlocking years ago, so it's not too surprising that you've never heard of it. See, hundreds of years ago, some Pokemon Trainers put two or three rules on themselves in their journey, which were referred to as Nuzlocke Challenges. The first rule is that Nuzlockers had to catch the first Pokemon they saw in a new Route and nothing else."

"That's it?" Lyra asked, tilting her head to the side. "What's so bad about that?"

Axel (who had awoken at this point) was listening half-heartedly.

"I'm not done," Ethan said. "The reason Nuzlocking was banned is the second rule: if a Pokemon faints even once, that Pokemon is released or considered dead."

All of the PokeMember's eyes widened impossibly. Released or considered _dead_?

_"What?"_ Lyra shrieked. "Why would they do that?"

"I asked Grandpa that, but he wouldn't tell me," Ethan said. "But I think it was for the thrills and the risk - any battle could mean goodbye."

"But that's so depressing..." Lyra said, sadly glancing down at Axel. The Typhlosion glanced at the ground and nuzzled Lyra's leg.

"Yeah," Ethan said. "But Nuzlocking gave birth to a tradition."

"What tradition is that?"

"Nicknaming. Before the Nuzlocke era, nobody nicknamed their Pokemon. Nuzlocking gave birth to that," Ethan explained. "I think my grandpa told me about it to show that...not everything is all bad."

_Like the PokeMembers? _Lyra thought, petting Axel on the head. She bit her lip.

"Even so, I don't think I'd be able to go through that challenge," she admitted softly. "If we were born in that era, I mean. I wouldn't be able to take it."

Ethan expected that answer from her. He frowned and wrapped an arm around her "Sorry for upsetting you," he said.

"You didn't upset me. Thanks for telling me about that, Ethan," Lyra said, smiling. "History is important, after all. Like you always said when we were kids."

A moment of silence passed between them - as the two Trainers and their Pokemon imagined the sorrow involved in Nuzlocking. Even Xemnas felt bad imagining it. If the PokeMembers were born in an earlier time...

"Welp," Ethan finally said. "I, uh...I think that's Xemnas' history lesson for the day."

_I hope you're happy, Xem, _Ethan thought solemnly.

Xemnas didn't respond.

* * *

><p>The only reason I wrote this informativechapter is because I'm doing a FireRed Nuzlocke right now. I'm chronicling it on my tumblr if anybody is interested. *hint hint*

So review? Or don't, that's completely up to you.


	7. Hoenn Moment: Meeting May

Disclaimer: I don't own.

...I need to update these things more.

Hope you enjoy!

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><p>Demyx liked this world he was reborn in.<p>

Sure, the form could have been a bit better - being a small mudskipper did have its drawbacks - but he had no real complaints. There was a lot to see in this 'Ho-Inn' that more than made up for the unfortunate form.

His caretaker was really nice, too. Demyx was really excited that Brendan had picked him over Axel (who was reborn as this orange chick Pokemon - when he found out that it was Axel, Demyx nearly died laughing) and Treeko (who definitely was not Marluxia - she had no numeral). He even got Demyx's name right; it took a bit of graffitti, though...

However, one thing bothered Demyx about Brendan. He was a lot like Namine; more focused on his work than being with people.

This concerned Demyx. Namine's case was understandable, because she was a Nobody. But Brendan was human - he had a heart, so why wasn't he using it? Did it have anything to do with him being a professor's kid?

Whatever the case, Demyx wanted to help Brendan. It was the _least_ he could do, for taking him out of that stuffy lab.

So when he had heard about the new neighbor having a kid Brendan's age, Demyx hatched a plan.

* * *

><p>May Maple jogged up the stairs into an empty bedroom. The only thing she found was a shiny blue ball on the floor. She picked it up curiously, wondering if this guy she was supposed to be meeting was a collector of these things...or a big baby in disguise.<p>

That was when a blue-bodied Pokemon with orange gills crawled out from underneath the bed, running towards May. It pawed at her feet, motioning towards the ball.

She blinked, glancing at the ball, and then at the Pokemon.

"You want me to toss this?" she asked. When the Pokemon nodded, she complied. It caught the ball in its mouth and started to play with the ball. May smiled as she watched the Pokemon play with the ball. It was kind of adorable!

"Hey, Demyx! I'm back!" Brendan said, walking through the door. He instantly noticed May and froze.

"...You're May, right?" he asked, pointing at her.

"Uh...yeah," she said. "Something wrong?"

"Well...When I heard that a Gym Leader's kid was going to be living next door, I thought you'd be a guy," he blurted. May instantly looked ready to kill someone.

"What was that?!" she yelled. Demyx facepalmed at this.

"W-Woah, hey! Not to say that girls can't be battlers!" Brendan yelped. "I'm sorry! Open mouth, insert foot..."

He sighed, and held his hand out. "Hi, I'm Brendan. I'm your new neighbor...I guess."

May cracked a smile, shaking hands with him. "And I guess you know my name."

Demyx let out a sigh of relief as the two chatted. This plan could still work!

* * *

><p>So apparently May met Professor Birch in the hour since Brendan met her.<p>

How else would Demyx be talking with Axel as their two Trainers walked towards Littleroot, right after a rather short battle?

_"How's life with a Trainer, Axel?" _Demyx asked as the two Pokemon trailed their Trainers. Axel grinned.

_"May's pretty cool! Much better than B-Boy, Dem," _the Torchic responded. Demyx pouted.

_"What's wrong with Brendan?" _he asked._ "He doesn't remind you of Namine?"_

_"Well...yeah, he does,"_ Axel admitted. _"But he's sort of an anti-social little boy, isn't he?"_

_"I've actually been trying to fix that. With you being May's Pokemon, it's actually perfect," _Demyx said, grinning enthusiastically._ "Want to help me try to get them closer?"_

Axel's eyebrow quicked. _"You mean romantically?"_

_"Not really. I mean, if they **do** end up together, then that's awesome,"_ Demyx responded, shrugging. _"I'm more concerned with him getting a friend his age."_

Axel hummed in thought. _"Well...it's not like May really knows anyone here. She moved here, right?" _

Demyx grinned. _"THANK YOU!" _he exclaimed, glomping the Torchic. _"THANK YOU SO MUCH!" _

_"Dem, get off! This is so not cool!"_ Axel complained, trying to squirm his way out of Demyx's grip.

Brendan and May blinked at their Pokemon's behavior.

"Looks like Demyx likes your Torchic," Brendan said. "What did you want to name him?"

"Well, I can't name him Fira," May mused. "Maybe I should look over a name book or something."

"We have one at the lab. You can use that if you want."

"Why not? Let's get going!"

Demyx and Axel blinked at their Trainer's conversation.

_"That was fast," _Axel said as Demyx got off him. _"You sure they need our help?"_

Demyx hummed in thought. _"Well...maybe not." _

_"Now come on, before we lose them!" _

Demyx felt an uncontrollable grin as he and Axel ran after their Trainers. Regardless of the circumstances, this was the start of a new adventure, he knew it!

* * *

><p>I was up until 2 AM writing this chapter, so I hope you appreciate it.<p>

Please review?


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